Final Fantasy Resonance Rebuilds a Mobile Game Into the Turn-Based JRPG Fans Wanted
Our verdict: 8.2/10. Final Fantasy Resonance pairs one of the best turn-based battle systems in years with gorgeous HD-2D, held back by a predictable story.
Aymen Sakouhi·Writer · Games Hobbyist//3 min read
© Square Enix. Official media via Steam.
The pitch
OverviewFinal Fantasy Resonance has the kind of origin that should make people suspicious. It reworks the opening arc of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, a mobile game, into a full single-player console and PC RPG with new cinematics and fully voiced characters. Reports say the new version has no gacha mechanics and no microtransactions, and that is the first thing that separates it from its source.
Square Enix developed and published it, and it arrived on October 22, 2026, on PC through Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch and Switch 2. The Steam listing presents it as a modern take on classic Final Fantasy pixel art: a party of fated companions, and Visions you summon mid-fight, chasing the truth behind a looming threat to the world.
Critical reception is strong. OpenCritic rates it Mighty with an average of 85 across around 85 critics, and individual scores run from 3 out of 5 at Eurogamer to 8 out of 10 at IGN, Nintendo Life and Push Square. One note on sourcing: most of the early critic reviews were played on console, so PC-specific reception is still forming. The consensus is clear on what works and what does not, and it is the same on every platform.
How it plays
PlayThe headline is the battle system. Combat is turn-based, and reviewers describe it as built on elemental weaknesses, staggering and extra turns, a setup that Noisy Pixel calls intuitive yet strategically rewarding. One review goes as far as calling the combat and Visions system one of the best turn-based battle systems of the last decade. Eurogamer's verdict is that it is a fantastic example of how to rewrite battle mechanics to suit a full RPG.
Visions are the identity of the whole thing. In Brave Exvius they were part of a gacha system, as Push Square points out, and here they have been turned into a core battle mechanic you call on to aid the party. Square Enix has shown Visions featuring familiar names, with trailers for Lightning and Clive. Alongside them sits a flexible job system, and OpenCritic's summary singles out the job system and the overworld exploration, which reviewers describe as thrilling.
Length is generous. Reports put a playthrough at somewhere between 30 and 50 hours, with Push Square calling it a well-paced adventure of around 50 hours, and the game plays comfortably at your own pace.
The weak link is the writing. IGN describes excellent visuals, combat and music carrying an underwhelming story, and Push Square says the story and characters struggle to avoid being predictable. RPGFan scores the story at 80, which is good but clearly below its other categories, and notes that Rain's arc benefits the most from the changes made over the original. Pacing dips are the second recurring complaint. These are real flaws, but they sit around a battle system that carries the experience.
Art & atmosphere
CraftResonance uses the HD-2D look that Square Enix has been polishing, pixel-art characters set in richly lit three-dimensional environments, and the response has been glowing. RPGFan scores graphics at 95, and OpenCritic's summary uses the phrase gorgeous implementation of HD-2D. The Steam listing leans on the same idea, a classic pixel-art look pushed forward.
The one visual complaint concerns consistency. Some reviewers point to 3D sequences that seem somewhat out of place next to the HD-2D style, a small clash between two languages the game does not always blend smoothly.
Music is also a strength. IGN counts the music among the elements that are excellent, and RPGFan scores sound at 90. In a Final Fantasy game that is not a bonus, it is the baseline, and Resonance meets it.
One of the strongest turn-based battle systems in recent years and a beautiful HD-2D presentation, held back by a predictable story and pacing dips.
Pros & cons
The ledgerIn its favour
- A turn-based battle system built on weaknesses, staggers and extra turns that critics rank among the best in years
- Visions turn a former gacha idea into a real combat mechanic
- A flexible job system and overworld exploration that reviewers call thrilling
- HD-2D presentation praised as gorgeous, with graphics scored 95 by RPGFan
- Music and sound praised across the board
- Single-player and reported to have no gacha mechanics or microtransactions
Against it
- The main story and characters are predictable and the weakest area
- Pacing dips are a recurring complaint
- 3D sequences can clash with the HD-2D look
- Some reviewers feel it overlaps with the Pixel Remasters and other HD-2D games
Screens
Official media© Square Enix. Official media via Steam.
Verdict
The callFinal Fantasy Resonance is a clear recommendation for anyone who misses classic turn-based Final Fantasy combat. Its battle system is the real achievement: fast to learn, rewarding to master, and varied by the Visions and jobs that surround it. It looks and sounds the part, and the decision to strip out the gacha structure of its source and deliver a full single-player game is exactly the right call.
What holds it back is the story. A predictable plot and uneven pacing mean you will play for the combat rather than for what happens next, and critics who rate it lower almost always cite writing as the reason. If narrative is your priority, temper your expectations.
At 8.2, it is a very good JRPG that earns its praise through mechanics and presentation, and a strong pick for fans of the classic turn-based era.
Sources
Original review by Aymen Sakouhi from the licensed facts above. Score: 8.2/10.
